Philippine consulates in the U.S. are preparing to assist undocumented Filipinos who may face potential deportation under Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. President.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has allocated funds through the Assistance to Nationals (ATN) program to cover plane tickets for those who choose to return to the Philippines.
Consul General Senen Mangalile of New York emphasized that undocumented Filipinos should not fear approaching consulates. They will not face detention and can receive help with documentation and repatriation.
“Filipino citizens in the U.S. who need help for repatriation may be eligible to access the ATN Fund. Once they have made the decision to go home, they may visit our Assistance to Nationals Section, which is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. They can also consult via email at newyorkpcg.atn@dfa.gov.ph. In cases of urgent need, our mobile hotline is (917) 294-0196.”
The ATN section operates on weekdays and offers consultations via email or hotline for urgent cases.
This initiative aims to support some of the estimated 370,000 undocumented Filipinos living in the U.S., many of whom are concentrated in states like California, Hawaii, and Texas. The consulates assure compliance with U.S. laws while providing assistance.
“We want to reassure our kababayan that the Consulate, as an agency of the Philippine government, is committed to assisting Filipino citizens regardless of their immigration status.”
Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez has advised the Filipino illegal immigrants to leave voluntarily to avoid being blacklisted.
“Some of them have already filed and so therefore they are here in limbo, meaning to say they are waiting for their papers to pass through. My advice to many of our fellowmen who are actually still here but cannot get any kind of status, my advice is for them not to wait to be deported,” Romualdez said in a recent forum.
“I can see that the administration of President Trump is really going to be very strict with the immigration policy that he intends to put in place because that is a promise he made to the American public, and that is probably the reason why he won, an issue that is very important to a large number of Americans,” he added.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Funds ready to support Filipinos facing deportation under Trump—DFA”
